Meet the Judges of Nathan’s Famous 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest

Sarah and Victor Mercado were asked to judge the Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, they told PIX11 News. (PIX11 News)

CONEY ISLAND, Brooklyn (PIX11) – Moments before competitive eater Patrick Bertolleti devoured 58 hot dogs in just 10 minutes, the unsung heroes of the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest took a very serious, hot dog-inspired oath.

With their right hands raised toward the Coney Island sky, the judges, dressed in black and white striped shirts and red caps, repeated:

“I solemnly swear to abide by the statutes and regulations of the International Federation of Catering Competitions as set forth in Articles 32-BX to 42-BY. So help me God, amen.”

After taking the oath, the judges took their places. Some stood in front of the competition eaters’ table while others stood behind the eaters, all closely counting the demolished hot dogs. It’s a glorious job with some less glorious dangers.

“I was afraid I was going to get in the splash zone and lose count, it feels like a really high-stakes competition,” said Samantha Mercado, who judged this year for the first time with her husband.

After the ten minutes were up, the judges inspected the remaining sausages in the competitors’ hot dog cups.

Many of the novice judges shared Mercado’s nervous excitement. As the event approached, the group received an email with instructions. Each judge was assigned a male and female eater and a task, such as counting dogs or flipping scorecards.

First-time judge Nicole Blackman from Chicago found herself in the splash zone.

“It’s so cool, it’s so graphic. You see people eating wet hot dogs and it’s falling on them, on their faces and on us,” Blackman said. “It’s really gross, but you have to be careful and it’s really cool.”

Liam Gayron, a rookie judge who observed Mary Bowers and Max Stanford, was also in a compromising position.

“I’m glad I saw it in person,” Gayron said. “It was crazy to see it up close. I was getting little drops of spit, I was glad I had a hat with a brim to block the spit.”

For James Cordon, judge of champion Miki Sudo, her victory was something exceptional. For the men’s competition, he looked to Geoffrey Esper.

“She was very focused,” James Cordon said. “Last night we watched last year’s competition, we watched the judges… We were very nervous.”

Cordon and his wife, Samantha Cordon, “lost their minds” when they saw the judging positions at a charity gala and were the only ones to bid. Other judges were invited to join the competition.

“It’s just one of those very stupid, very Fourth of July things,” Cordon said.

For Long Island native Alex Rosenthal, who watched Julie Goldberg and Derek “Heavy D” Hendrickson eat, the hot dog eating contest is a perfect slice of New York City.

“I love the ecosystem here, it’s one of the most human events there is. If I can be part of its structure, I’ll take any part of it,” Rosenthal said.